Dussack
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A Dussack (also dusack, dysack, tesak, tuseckn, thuseckn, disackn, or dusägge, dusegge, dusegg) is a type of German practice weapon that originated around the 16th century. The dussack was intended to represent various short, single-edged weapons in a training environment. Using a dussack, one could train for the falchion, or cutlass, Hiebmesser or großes Messer (which translates to English as "big knife"). As usage of the dussack became more widespread, various schools turned use of the dussack into a sport as opposed to training for a real weapon.
Based primarily on the Messer rather than the falchion, dussacks had a short, thick, single-edged blade measuring between 70 and 95 cm. A dussack was made of wood, and there is only one existing metal dussack, though many think it may be a mislabled messer. Additionally there is a single reference to dussacks also being made from leather. The dussack was gently curved and brought to a point at the tip. The dussack often lacked a hilt. Instead, the handgrip was merely a hole cut inside of the blade; without a pommel or upper guard, it looked something like a large hole for gripping scissors.
No wooden (or leather) dussacks are known to have survived; unsurprising given the perishable nature of the dussack, and only woodcuts and training manuals from the period document their existence. A single unusual iron dussack is known to survive.
[edit] External links
- Little-known aspects of Dussack play through the ages by J. Christoph Amberger
